President/Chancellors

Princeton Theological Seminary has appointed Rev. Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton as its eighth President. Dr. Walton comes to Princeton Seminary from Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he has served as the dean since 2019 and holds the Presidential Chair in Religion and Society. Prior to joining Wake Forest University, he served on the faculty at Harvard Divinity School and was the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and the Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church of Harvard University. Dr. Walton is trained as a social ethicist whose scholarship focuses on the intersection of evangelical Christianity, mass media, and political culture. He is the author of two books and has published widely across various academic journals, books, magazines, and newspapers. His insights have been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Time Magazine, and PBS. Dr. Walton earned his PhD in 2006 and his MDiv in 2002 from Princeton Seminary, and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Morehouse College in 1996. He is an ordained Baptist minister and a gifted preacher who has continued to serve both his alma maters. He is a member of the Humanities Advancement Council at Morehouse College and has served on the Board of Trustees at Princeton Seminary. Read more here.

Spring Hill College has selected Mary H. Van Brunt, PhD, as its 39th President. As the College prepares to celebrate its 200-year legacy, Dr. Van Brunt makes history as the first woman to serve as president of the college.

Texas State University System has appointed Sidney E. Valentine, Ph.D., as president of Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont. He will assume office August 16. Since 2015, Dr. Valentine has served as chief academic and student services officer at South Florida State College, where he provided academic leadership for the college’s transfer, vocational, technical, adult and community education, and workforce education programs. He also supervised the college’s applied research activities, grants, and institutional effectiveness efforts. Previously, Dr. Valentine served as associate vice president of industrial and engineering technology at York Technical College (SC) and as director of workforce and economic development at the West Virginia Community and Technical College System. He earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from The University of South Carolina and his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University Institute of Technology. Read more here.

Huston-Tillotson University announced that Melva K. Williams, Ph.D. has been appointed as the institution’s seventh President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 15, 2022.  Dr. Williams has held numerous positions within the Southern University System (LA), including Executive Associate to the Chancellor, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at SU-Shreveport, Vice Chancellor at SU-New Orleans, and System Chief of Staff.  A former associate dean of College at Centenary College of Louisiana, Williams has concurrently served as a professor, lecturer and board member at several colleges and universities. She earned a doctorate in higher education from Jackson State University (MS) and a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Grambling State University (LA). Read more here.

The Albizu University Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Nelson Edward Soto as the university’s sixth president. Dr. Soto came to Albizu University from Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served as the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Dr. Soto has served as faculty at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in the School of Education; Indiana University, College of Arts and Sciences; the University of Missouri-Columbia, College of Education; and the University of Cincinnati, University College. He has received multiple grants for his research. Read more here.

The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) has appointed Dr. Linda Kligman as its next President. Dr. Kligman joined the IIRP in 2010 and currently serves as Interim President. Previously she served as Vice President for Administration and Vice President for Advancement. Prior to the IIPR, she was the Executive Director of Jenkintown Community Alliance and Director of Educational Programs at The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University. Dr. Kligman earned a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Union Institute and University, an M.S. in Restorative Practices and a B.S. in both Appropriate Technology and Civil Engineering from Drexel University.
 

Emmanuel College has announced the appointment of Dr. Mary K. Boyd as its 13th President. Dr. Boyd previously served as Provost at Berry College, and as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Diego.

The Kansas Board of Regents announced the appointment of Mr. Ken Hush as the 18th President of Emporia State University, effective immediately. Mr. Hush has been serving as Interim President of ESU since November 2021. Mr. Hush is an ESU alum and his prior roles include CEO of BLI Rentals, President and several executive roles at Koch Minerals and Carbon, and General Manager and Director at Senior Commodity Company. He holds a BS in Business Administration and Marketing from Emporia State University.  Read more here.

Northampton Community College has appointed Dr. David Ruth as its fifth President. Dr. Ruth has served as the Vice President and Chief of Staff at Northampton Community College for the past six years and will begin his new role on July 1, 2022. Dr. Ruth is a senior leader with over 25 years of progressively responsible experience as an executive Higher Education professional. As the current Vice President and Chief of Staff, Ruth has served as the Chief Advisor and counsel to the President. Prior to Northampton, Dr. Ruth served as the Dean of Students (Chief Student Affairs Officer) at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Ruth holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Learning Technologies from Drexel University and a Master of Arts in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Lehigh University. Read more here.

 

Mr. Ericke Cage, J.D., has been appointed as the new President of West Virginia State University. Mr. Cage has been serving in this interim role since September 2021.  Prior to joining WVSU, Cage most recently served as executive advisor to the president and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University. Mr. Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School. He holds a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. Read more here.